Mount Pleasant Crest BTO Review: Excellent central location but very long waiting time
Launch prices ranged from $209,000 to $787,000.
By Home & Decor Team -
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The Mount Pleasant Crest BTO is situated on land that was formerly part of the Old Police Academy (OPA), lending it a unique heritage and history. The site was home to the Old Police Academy, which was the central training ground for the Singapore Police Force for many decades.
Mount Pleasant History
In the earlier 1800s to 1900s, the wider Mount Pleasant estate, named after a local hill, was part of large land holdings, notably by the Alsagoff family. The land was used for plantations growing crops such as coffee, pepper, tapioca, and sugar cane.
In 1920, the colonial government acquired parts of the Mount Pleasant land to build grand black-and-white bungalows for high-ranking officers, including senior police officials. This established the area’s reputation as a desirable, elite residential precinct even before the academy was fully operational.
Old Police Academy
The facility, then known as the Police Depot, opened at its Thomson Road location (1 Mount Pleasant Road) in 1929. This marked the first time Singapore had a permanent institution to professionalise its law enforcement body, which was previously the domain of the Straits Settlements Police.
The facility was renamed several times over the decades, including the Police Training School (1945) and finally the Police Academy (SPA) / Training Command (TRACOM) in 1969.
The Old Police Academy campus closed in December 2005, with police training functions moving to the new Home Team Academy in Choa Chu Kang.
Singapore Polo Club
Founded in 1886 in Singapore, the Singapore Polo Club was first founded by British military officers stationed in Singapore, with games initially played at the Race Course in Farrer Park (near today’s Farrer Park MRT). The club later moved to Balestier Road (near McNair Road), outgrew the space, and settled at Mount Pleasant Road in 1941, but World War II intervened.
The site was briefly used by the Japanese military as a gun emplacement area and later a squatter’s camp.
The Singapore Polo Club officially resumed operations in 1947, and is virtually adjacent to the new Mount Pleasant estate, located on 80 Mount Pleasant Road. As its name suggests, it is Singapore’s premier equestrian and polo club, but it also functions as a social club with dining, swimming, and other recreational facilities.
The Old Police Academy in Mount Pleasant. Six buildings around the academy will be earmarked for conservation, with four within the housing estate.
- Address: Thomson Road, Mount Pleasant Avenue, and Old Police Academy Road.
- Total Units: 1,348
- Unit Types: 2-Room Flexi, 3-Room, 4-Room
- Wait Time: 4 Years 11 Months
- Category: Prime
The Mount Pleasant Crest BTO project is the first public housing launch in the new Mount Pleasant Estate (located between Thomson Road and the PIE), offering a rare opportunity for a new home in a central, highly desirable area. It is classified as a Prime location flat.
Prices
- 2-Room: $209,000 - $373,000
- 3-Room: $411,000 - $552,000
- 4-Room: $558,000 - $787,000
The Mount Pleasant HDB BTO October 2025 site is located along Thomson Road, Mount Pleasant Avenue, and Old Police Academy Rooad.
Location
Mount Pleasant MRT Station (Future)
The most significant advantage of Mount Pleasant Crest BTO is its direct link to the future Mount Pleasant MRT Station (TE10) on the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL). The Mount Pleasant MRT Station (TE10) on the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) does not yet have a confirmed opening date .The station is currently fully built but mothballed (kept closed). Its opening is conditional upon the completion of the surrounding Mount Pleasant housing estate which it is meant to serve.
Orchard Road will be approximately 3-4 stops away, while the CBD and Marina Bay area will be approximately 6-7 stops away.
Bus Services
The Mount Pleasant Crest BTO site is located in a prime area that is currently served by bus stops along major roads, particularly Thomson Road and near the PIE, allowing residents to connect to major hubs like Toa Payoh, Novena, and the city.
| Bus Service | Route | Destination |
|---|---|---|
| 52 | Trunk Service | Bishan Int - Jurong East Int |
| 74 / 74e | Trunk/Express | Hougang Ctrl Int - Buona Vista Ter |
| 93 | Trunk Service | HarbourFront Int - Eunos Int |
| 151 / 153 / 154 | Trunk Services | Connects areas like Hougang, Eunos, and Boon Lay to the central-south region. |
| 157 | Trunk Service | Toa Payoh Int - Boon Lay Int |
Driving
The site is situated close to the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) and Thomson Road, ensuring excellent island-wide driving connectivity.
Just outside the academy is an art deco bungalow at 153 Mount Pleasant Road known as the Senior Police Officers’ Mess.
Mount Pleasant Crest Prime
As a Prime location flat situated in District 11 (Novena area), the property’s value is underpinned by its rarity and central location.
Resale HDB flats in the adjacent mature estates of Toa Payoh and Novena regularly transact at high prices (e.g., $1 million or more for large, well-located flats), suggesting a strong resale market and significant potential for appreciation after the Minimum Occupation Period (MOP).
12% Clawback
What does the 12% Clawback mean? The 12% figure represents the percentage of the final selling price (or valuation, whichever is higher) that homeowners must return to HDB upon the first resale of the Prime HDB flat.
The clawback acts as a mechanism to recover the additional subsidies provided by the Government at the time of the BTO launch to keep the initial price affordable compared to surrounding private and resale property values.
Clawback Amount = 12% x Your HDB’s Resale Price
Assuming at the end of your 10-year MOP, you sell your Mount Pleasant Crest BTO at $1,300,000, your clawback will be $156,000.
12% x $1,300,000 = $156,000
The clawback directly reduces your profit, ensuring that a portion of the unearned increment from the Prime location HDB is returned to the public housing system.
Artist's impression of the retained Old Drill Shed from the Old Police Academy, which will be repurposed as a precinct pavilion in Mount Pleasant Crest – Prime (Oct 2025 Build-To-Order). The estate’s masterplan integrates six conserved Old Police Academy buildings, offering a unique heritage charm.
10-Year MOP
As the homeowner, you must reside in your flat for 10 years (MOP) before you can sell it, double the standard 5-year MOP. This severely limits flexibility and mobility. How will the 10-year MOP affect you? The longer MOP exposes you, the homeowner, to the property market over a more extended period. You must align your life plans with this 10-year lock-in period.
Income Ceiling for Resale Buyers
When you eventually sell the flat, your subsequent resale HDB buyer must meet the prevailing HDB BTO eligibility criteria, including the maximum income ceiling (currently at $14,000 for families).
No Renting Out of Whole HDB Flat
Even after the 10-year MOP is fulfilled, you are not allowed to rent out the entire HDB unit. You only rent out spare bedrooms. This removes a key potential source of passive rental income often enjoyed by owners of standard resale HDB flats after their MOP.
Artist’s impression of Mount Pleasant Crest – Prime (Oct 2025 Build-To-Order).
Primary Schools
The location boasts excellent proximity to some of Singapore’s most reputable schools, which is a major draw for families: While the exact distance of the nearest BTO block to the school gate determines the final official balloting distance, the following schools are generally cited as being within the crucial 1km radius of the Mount Pleasant area:
- CHIJ Primary School (Toa Payoh)
- Kheng Cheng School
- Marymount Convent School (Girls’ School)
- Singapore Chinese Girls’ Primary School (SCGS) (Girls’ School)
Further out, you also have Balestier Hill Primary School, Anglo-Chinese School (Primary), Raffles Institution (Primary), and Raffles Girls’ School (Primary).
Food
While there doesn’t seem to be food options in the immediate walking vicinity, you can take a bus ride to Toa Payoh West Market & Food Centre, located at 127 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh with local hawker food. Otherwise, you will need to visit the Toa Payoh Town Centre & HDB Hub.
Halal Food
Again, there are no immediate food options near the Mount Pleasant Crest BTO site. You can access Halal food, particularly within Toa Payoh, which is a bus ride away.
- Rahmath Cheese Prata (Toa Payoh West): Known for its popular Prata, conveniently located near the nearest hawker centre.
- Che Rose Nasi Padang: Located at Blk 128 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh, providing authentic Malay/Nasi Padang cuisine within easy walking distance of the estate perimeter.
- Ollella @ Mount Alvernia Hospital: (Halal-Certified) Offers Nasi Lemak, Lontong, and a selection of Indonesian sweet and savory kueh. Mount Alvernia Hospital is located north on Thomson Road, accessible via bus/car.
- Halal-Certified Stalls often found at the food courts within the HDB Hub, offering Chicken Rice, Indian cuisine (Briyani), and Western food.
At the HDB Hub / Town Centre, you will find McDonald’s, KFC, Burger King, Subway, Polar Puffs & Cakes, SAFRA Toa Payoh: Features Halal-certified dining options, often including Western food or steak (like Andes by Astons or similar concepts) and specialty cuisine (like Suki-Suki Thai Hot Pot).
Site plan of Mount Pleasant Crest – Prime (Oct 2025 Build-To-Order). The estate will include two preschools, a supermarket, shops, and an eating house, providing immediate daily convenience.
Supermarkets
The BTO masterplan has explicitly included a supermarket along with an eating house and shops within one of the precinct’s Multi-Storey Car Parks (MSCPs). Once the project is completed (expected around 2030), daily grocery shopping will be literally on the doorstep. For now, the nearest supermart is a NTUC FairPrice at Toa Payoh Hub, around 1.2km away.
HDB White Flat Layout
Buyers of 3-room and 4-room BTO flats at Mount Pleasant Crest can opt for a “White Flat” layout, which features an open-concept interior without beams or partitions, offering maximum flexibility for customisation.